Book spine miller

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is an apparatus for milling off the spine area of a book to be rebound. A rectilinearly moveable table is provided carrying clamping members between which the book is clamped with its spine area extending through an opening in the table, the amount of such extension being determined by an adjustably positionable underlying platform which does not move with the table. A cutter wheel is rotated in a plane parallel to the table and adjacent its underface so that, as the table moves over the cutter wheel, the fabric, staples, glue, etc. on the spine area of a clamped book are removed.

0 United States Patent [1 1 1111 3,797,362 Heckman Mar. 19, 1974 [5 BOOK SPINE MILLER 3.706.252 12/1972 Hawkes et al. 83/925 A Inventor: Glen B. Heckman North 3,188,667 6/1965 Bla1r 1 H1 ET Manchester, Ind. h

Przmary Exammer-Donald R. Schran Assignee! The Heckman y, -1 North Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Woodard, Weikart, Em-

Manchester, Ind. hardt & Naughton [22] Filed: Oct. 2, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 293,840 [57] ABSTRACT Disclosed is an apparatus for milling off the spine area of a book to be rebound. 'A rectilinearly moveable [52] Cl 2 23 336; table is provided carrying clamping members between [51] Int B23c 6 17/00 which the book is clamped with its spine area extend- Fieid "5 A 5 472 401 ing through an opening in the table, the amount of "55 425. go/lg such extension being determined by an adjustably positionable underlying platform which does not move with the table. A cutter wheel is rotated in a plane [56] References parallel to the table and adjacent its underface so that, I UNITED STATES PATENTS as the table moves over the cutter wheel, the fabric, 1.95 8,793 5/l934 Lee et a1 90/19 staples, glue, etc. on the spine area of a clamped book 2.081.639 5/1937 Perry et a1. 90/19, are d 3.570.350 3/1971 Fogg 133/925 A 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures BOOK SPINE MILLER- BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the rebinding of books whose original binding has deteriorated, it is important to rapidly and accurately remove the fabric threads, hardened glue, and staples (if used to hold the signatures in the original binding operation) from the spine of the book to be rebound. Since milling of the spine area of the books is a necessary production operation, there is a distinct advantage in providing and utilizing a machine for rapidly and automatically performing the milling operation and which can be easily and rapidly set-up or adjusted for different book page widths.

The apparatus of the present invention moves the spine area of a book, in a fixed path, into contact with the milling wheel. The book undergoing milling is clamped between members engaging the front and back sides of the book and an adjustably positionable abutment or platform is provided which defines the depth of the milling cut. The apparatus can thus be readily altered to accommodate books of various sizes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a milling apparatus embodying the present invention showing a book in place in the apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the cutter wheel shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the hydraulic circuit for the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the adjustable platform assembly incorporated into the structure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 1. 7

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring initially to FIGS. 1-3, the apparatus is supported in a generally rectangular frame composed of end plates 10 and 11 spaced by a base plate 12 and longitudinally extending support bars 13. The frame is supported on adjustable, leveling legs 14 (FIG. 2). Extending across the open, upper end of the frame is a rectilinearly movable table or carriage 16 which is supported for lateral movement by means of bearing members 17 which are slidable along lateral rods 18, one of the rods 18 being located above the surface of the table 16 and the other below the table surface.

A carriage actuator, hydraulic cylinder 19, when energized, provides the motive force for lateral movement of the table 16, the thrust rod of the cylinder being connected to the arm 21 which is attached rigidly to the table 16. As may best be seen in FIG. 2, a limit switch 22 is actuated through its roller equipped thrust pin 22a by the underface of the table 16 when in its home position (the solid line position of table 16 in FIG. 2). A further limit switch 23 is actuated by the table 16 when in its remote position (indicated by broken lines fragrnentarily in FIG. 2). These two limit switches function to control the pressurization of the hydraulic cylinder 19 as will be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

Secured to the table 16 itself, and overlying a generally rectangular cut-out area 24 (FIG. 8) in the table are clamping plates for holding a'book in position for spine milling. The plates include a front clamping plate 26 and a rear clamp plate 27, the rear clamping plate being provided with a nylon facing member or plate 27a which is adjustable vertically with relation to the plate 27 by means of the L-shaped clamping members 27b (FIG. 8). As may best be seen in FIG. 8 the rear clamp plate 27 is stationarily supported on the table 16 at the margin of the rectangular opening 24 in the table. The front clamp plate 26 is secured to support shafts 29 which are slidable within support blocks 31 (FIG. 1) rigidly attached to the upper face of the table 16. Means for moving the clamping plate 26 toward and away from the clamping plate 27 is provided by the clamp actuating, hydraulic cylinder 32, the thrust rod 32a of which is rigidly secured to the clamp plate 26, pressurization of the cylinder 32 serving to move the plate 26 into book clamping position. A book 33 is shown clamped between the plates in FIG. 1.

The means for adjustably establishing the vertical position of a book between the clamping plates, and thus the depth of the cut to be made by the milling cutter, includes the hook platform 41 (FIG. 8). The platform 41 underlies the rectangular aperture 24 in the table 16 and is supported by a bracing member 42 (FIGS. 2 and 7), the plate and brace 42 being rigidly secured to a slide plate 43 which has outwardly extending side margins held to the underlying backing plate 44 by clamp brackets 46. The backing plate 44 abutts the inner face of the side plate 10as will be evident from FIG. 2, and the clamps 46 are biased against the plate 43 by means of compression springs47 which create sufficient frictional drag so that the plate 41 is held at its adjusted position. The adjusted position of the plate or platform 41 is provided by the lever arm 48 (FIG. 7), pivoted at 49 and at one of its ends being provided with an elongated aperture 51 through which extends a pin 52 extending from the plate 43. Rigidly secured to the other end of the lever 48 by means of dowel pins 53aand screws 53b is an arm 53 carrying a hand grip knob at its upper end identified at 530. As will be evident from FIGS. 1 and 7, the knob may be moved with relation to a slot in the control panel from which it extends and the slot may carry suitable index markings indicating the adjusted position of the knob and hence the vertical position of the platform 41, the movement of the knobproducing the pivoting of the lever 48 about its pivot point 49 and consequently raising or lowering the platform. The platform 41 serves to bottom or position the book to be clamped vertically and thus determines the depth of the spine area milling cut.

The milling apparatus proper includes the circular cutter wheel 54 which is shown in detail in FIG. 4. The wheel is bolted to a flangedverticalshaft 56 which is driven by an electrical motor 57 (FIG. 2), the motor being supported on a mounting bar which spans the frame. As may best be seen in FIG. 4, the cutter wheel is provided with a series of teeth 54a having carbide tips 541). The area below the cutting wheel is encircled by a dust collector housing 58 to the outlet of which, i

identified at 59, may be attached the suction side of a powered blower indicated generally at 61 in FIG. 6. With a book clamped between the clamping plates, as shown in FIG. 1, and with its spine area resting against the platform 41 which is stationary, pressurization of the cylinder 19 will function to move the table 16 and the clamped book across the face of the cutter wheel 54 until the table reaches its remote position and engages the limit switch 23. When the opposite end of the cylinder 19 is pressurized, the table and the book with its spine area milled off will return to the home position of the table 16 shown in FIG. 1. The nylon cushioning plate 27a of the rear clamping plate 27 is adjusted so that it is approximately even with the spine area of the book and a portion of the plate is milled ofi by the cutter wheel as the book moves across the wheel, this serving to insure that the book spine will be milled squarely and prevents the book sheet from flaring as the cutter wheel penetrates the book. Slight downward adjustment of the cushion member 2721 with respect to the plate 27 may be made to compensate for this removal of a small portion of the plate material with each pass over the cutting wheel.

Referring to FIGS. and 6, the hydraulic and electrical operating circuits for the apparatus, in an operational sequence, will now be described. When the disconnect switch (identified as DISC in FIG. 5) is closed the Power On" lamp (identified at LT 1 in FIG. 5) will be energized. Assuming the table 16 is in home position, although limit switch 22 is closed, since the starting switch PB-3 is open, none of the electrical components will be energized. When the start button for the switch PB-3 is momentarily depressed, relay coil l-M will be energized, closing the holding contact l-Ma, the relay switches l-Mb in the power line will also be closed, starting the motor 57 which rotates the cutter wheel, the hydraulic pump motor 30 and the motor operating the blower 61. Once energized, the motors continue to run until the stop button PB-2 is momentarily depressed or by the operation of the thermal overload relays identified at OL-l, 01-2 and OL-3 in FIG. 5.

A book is now inserted between the clamping plates 26 and 27 and the foot switch FS-l is moved to one of its two positions. Moving the foot switch to its lowermost position of FIG. 5 causes the clamping solenoid to be energized. As may be seen in FIG. 6, energization of SOL-1 causes the valve V-l to alter its position so that one side of the hydraulic cylinder 32 is depressurized and the opposite side is pressurized causing the front clamping plate 26 to move toward the rear clamping plate 27 and clamping the book in place. In this initial operation the solenoid SOL-4 remains deenergized and the unloading valve V-3 remains open to the sump tank limiting the hydraulic pressure exerted on the piston of the cylinder 32 to the value setting of the unloading valve. The clamping pressure exerted on the book at this stage is approximately 132 pounds.

If the PB-4 push button is now depressed, a circuit will be closed through the normally closed limit switch 23 to the relay coil CR-l. As a result, the relay switches CR-la and CR-lb will be closed energizing solenoids identified at SOL-3 and SOL-4 in FIGS. 5 and 6. Energizing SOL4, as will be evident from FIG. 6, serves to close the bypass to the sump provided by valve V-3 and the pressure clamping the book in place and exerted on the clamp plate 26 by the cylinder 32 will be increased by an amount equal to the previous pressure drop resulting from the open condition of the valve V-3. The resulting, increased pressure on the clamping plates will be of the order of 200 pounds. As will be evident from FIG. 6 the hydraulic line between the valve V-l and the cylinder 32 communicate with a sequencing valve identified at V-4 which opens communication to the solenoid valve V-2 and closes communication to the sump only when the pressure at its inlet reaches or exceeds a preselected value such as 200 pounds. With the valve V-4 open and the solenoid SOL-3 energized, valve V-2 will move so as to pressurize the right hand side (as viewed in FIG. 6) of the traversing cylinder 19. It will be noted that there is interposed in the fluid line to the cylinder 19 and to the cylinder 32 adjustable flow control valves 81 and 82 which are adjustable to select the speed at which the cylinders move the table 16 and the clamp plate 26, respectively. Upon the pressurization of cylinder 19, the table 16 will carry the book 33 across the cutter wheel. It should be noted that the valve V-4 provides a hydraulic interlock preventing pressurization of cylinder 19, even though the switch PB-4 be actuated, unless the clamping cylinder 32 has previously been actuated as a result of energization of solenoid SOL-2 resulting from actuation of the foot switch FS-l.

Upon completion of the forward portion of the transversing stroke of the table 16, the table will actuate limit switch 23 to open position, deenergizing traverse relay CR-l and deenergizing, in turn, solenoid SOL-3 whichv controls the position of traversing valve V-2. This depressurizes the right hand side (as viewed in FIG. 6) of the cylinder 19 and pressurizes the left hand side of the cylinder, causing the table 16 to reverse its motion and return to its home position. Actuation of limit switch 22 from its lower position to its upper position (FIG. 5) deenergizes the solenoid SOL-4 which causes the unloading valve V-3 to provide a bypass to the sump, unloading the hydraulic pump and avoiding thermal build-up. The book having been milled at its spine area, remains clamped between the plates 26 and 27 but at a reduced clamping pressure because the solenoid SOL-2 remains energized. Subsequently, the foot switch FS-l is actuated to its upper position of FIG. 5 deenergizing solenoid SOL-2 and energizing solenoid SOL-l. As will be evident from FIG. 6, this relieves the pressure behind the piston of the cylinder 32 and pressurizes the opposite side of the piston causing the clamp plate 26 to move away from the clamp plate 27 releasing the book. The book may then be removed, another inserted, and the process repeated. It will be noted from an inspection of FIGS. 5 and 6, that the motors 57, 30 and 61 may be started only when the book clamp table 16 is in its home position (with limit switch 22 closed). The foot switch FS-l is effective to initiate operation only when the plate 16 is in home position and traversing of the table 16 can occur only after the clamping plates 26 and 27 are in clamped position because of the hydraulic interlock previously mentioned.

The structure described provides for an increased clamping force, as pointed out above, after movement of the table 16 begins thereby protecting the book from damage while the cutting operation proceeds as a result of inadequate clamping force. The cushion on the clamping plate 27, which is adjustable with relation to the plate in a vertical plane, insures that the sheets will not flare as the cutter moves through the spine area of maria;

the book. The carbide tipped cutter teeth permit removal of staples from the spine of books being processed without damage to the cutter. The speed of movement of the table 16, and consequently the book clamped book spine area through said table istbbfi ing, means for adjustably positioning said platform with relation to said table plate, and a milling cutter having a circular cutter wheel rotated in a plane clamp to is Controlled y the use of the adjustable 5 parallel to said table plate and adjacent the underface 1 flow control valves 81 and 82, the adjustment permitting optimum cutter finish on the spine of the book regardless of book size or type of paper.

fabric, staples and the like from the spine area of books to be rebound, said assembly comprising a table plate supported for rectilinear movement between a home position and a remote position and an actuator for moving the plate between said positions, two opposed clamping plates supported on said table plate and adapted to accommodate a book between them with 'the spine of the book nearest the table plate and extending in the direction of motion of the table plate, a clamp actuator carried by the table plate for applying clamping force'to the clamp plates and adapted to increase the clamping force exerted on said clamp plates as said table plate is moved out of its said home position, said plate having an opening therein adjacent said clamps through which the spine area of a clamped book protrudes, a book height platformund erlying said table plate opening and by its position relative to said plate defining the extent of the protrusion of the said table plate so that said table aperture transverses j a diameter of said cutter Wheel as the table moves 7 r 10 between 't home and t 1. A book spine miller assembly for removing glue, l S remo e posltlons whereby as said table moves across said cutter wheel, the spine area of the clamped book is cut away an amount dependent on the adjusted position of said book height one of said clamp plates is provided with a nylon facing member, the position of said facing member on said clamp plate being adjustable so that one of its margins substantially coincides with the spine area of the clamped book to prevent flaring of the book sheets as they move across said cutter wheel.

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1. A book spine miller assembly for removing glue, fabric, staples and the like from the spine area of books to be rebound, said assembly comprising a table plate supported for rectilinear movement between a home position and a remote position and an actuator for moving the plate between said positions, two opposed clamping plates supported on said table plate and adapted to accommodate a book between them with the spine of the book nearest the table plate and extending in the direction of motion of the table plate, a clamp actuator carried by the table plate for applying clamping force to the clamp plates and adapted to increase the clamping force exerted on said clamp plates as said table plate is moved out of its said home position, said plate having an opening therein adjacent said clamps through which the spine area of a clamped book protrudes, a book height platform underlying said table plate opening and by its position relative to said plate defining the extent of the protrusion of the clamped book spine area through said table plate opening, means for adjustably positioning said platform with relation to said table plate, and a milling cutter having a circular cutter wheel rotated in a plane parallel to said table plate and adjacent the underface of the plate, said cutter wheel being disposed intermediately between said home and remote positions of said table plate so that said table aperture transverses a diameter of said cutter wheel as the table moves between its home and remote positions, whereby as said table moves across said cutter wheel, the spine area of the clamped book is cut away an amount dependent on the adjusted position of said book height platform.
 2. A miller apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the speed at which said table plate is moved by said actuator is adjustable and said actuator takes the form of a hydraulic cylinder with said speed adjustment resulting from varying the rate of flow of hydraulic fluid to said cylinder.
 3. A miller apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which one of said clamp plates is provided with a nylon facing member, the position of said facing member on said clamp plate being adjustable so that one of its margins substantially coincides with the spine area of the clamped book to prevent flaring of the book sheets as they move across said cutter wheel. 